Sarah Stempski1, Melissa Schiff2, Elizabeth Bennett3, Linda Quan4. 1. Department of Health Education, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA. 2. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. 3. Department of External Affairs and Guest Services, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA. 4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors associated with boat-related injuries and deaths. METHODS: We performed a case-control study using the Washington Boat Accident Investigation Report Database for 2003-2010. Cases were fatally injured boat occupants, and controls were non-fatally injured boat occupants involved in a boating incident. We evaluated the association between victim, boat and incident factors and risk of death using Poisson regression to estimate RRs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Of 968 injured boaters, 26% died. Fatalities were 2.6 times more likely to not be wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) and 2.2 times more likely to not have any safety features on their boat compared with those who survived. Boating fatalities were more likely to be in a non-motorised boat, to have alcohol involved in the incident, to be in an incident that involved capsizing, sinking, flooding or swamping, and to involve a person leaving the boat voluntarily, being ejected or falling than those who survived. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing PFD use, safety features on the boat and alcohol non-use are key strategies and non-motorised boaters are key target populations to prevent boating deaths. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors associated with boat-related injuries and deaths. METHODS: We performed a case-control study using the Washington Boat Accident Investigation Report Database for 2003-2010. Cases were fatally injured boat occupants, and controls were non-fatally injured boat occupants involved in a boating incident. We evaluated the association between victim, boat and incident factors and risk of death using Poisson regression to estimate RRs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Of 968 injured boaters, 26% died. Fatalities were 2.6 times more likely to not be wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) and 2.2 times more likely to not have any safety features on their boat compared with those who survived. Boating fatalities were more likely to be in a non-motorised boat, to have alcohol involved in the incident, to be in an incident that involved capsizing, sinking, flooding or swamping, and to involve a person leaving the boat voluntarily, being ejected or falling than those who survived. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing PFD use, safety features on the boat and alcohol non-use are key strategies and non-motorised boaters are key target populations to prevent boating deaths. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
Authors: Frederick Oporia; Simon P S Kibira; Jagnoor Jagnoor; Fred Nuwaha; Fredrick Edward Makumbi; Tonny Muwonge; Lesley Rose Ninsiima; Kjell Torén; John Bosco Isunju; Olive Kobusingye Journal: Inj Prev Date: 2022-01-24 Impact factor: 3.770